YogZom - A Yogscast Zombie FanFic (On Hold)
by PrinceMitch
Summary: When the world goes to hell, the Yogscast have to face a lot more challenging problems than doing a raid in WoW. Follow them as Simon, Lewis & Co. fight hordes of undead, and deal with issues they thought they'd never face. I mean, who's going to make Jaffa Cakes now?
1. Chapter 1 - Lemon-Lime Jaffa Cakes

Chapter 1: Lemon-Lime Jaffa Cakes

All was right with the world on that fateful Tuesday. Birds sang merrily, and their tune floated along the gentle breeze under the baby blue sky. People smiled and laughed as they went about their ordinary lives all across the country of England, but the biggest smile lay on the face of a certain black-haired Youtuber in in an unassuming tower block in bristol; YogTowers.

Sliding his glasses back up his nose, Lewis took a bit out of his third Jaffa Cake of the day. He knew it was stereotypical of the Yogscast to be eating the cake, (or biscuit, he could never remember which) but fans would give them so many that sometimes they just had to be eaten. However, Sips had come to stay for a few weeks and he'd been determined to help munch the way through the boxes that remained.

Lewis had found himself a half eaten pack of limited edition lemon-lime flavour in the back of a cupboard. Only four remained and, due to the lack of availability of the now out of production flavour, had found it a welcome change from the sticky, chocolate-y orange taste that had filled his mouth for the past few days. He was just about to pop the last one into his mouth when the slamming of a kitchen cupboard door brought him out of his state of concentration.

"Where the hell is the packet of lemon-lime Jaffa's, Lewis?" echoed an angry shout from down the hall. Quickly wiping his mouth, Lewis rammed the remaining Jaffa deep into his jean pocket and tried to look innocent as Simon barged into the room. "I can't beat Sips if all I'm eating is the orange ones! I need variety, there's only so much orange one man can take." He waved his hand at the white board hung up on the wall, where a tally chart had taken over from the usual planning information.

Names ran down one side, while the title "Jaffa Eating Competition" was scrawled across the top. Next to the names were a series of lines indicating how many each eprson had eaten. At first, Simon was the clear winner. It was expected, as he'd virtually lived off the stuff a few years ago. It had been assumed everyone else would be battling to not get second place. But Sips was determined and had soon almost caught up with Simon, now only half a tube behind. Everyone else had eaten maybe two tubes, maximum. Everyone except Martyn, who'd only eaten a couple. He went home a few days ago with a fever and hadn't been heard from since.

"Well, it wasn't me, friend. You know I'd never try and sabotage Honeydew Inc. especially not when Sips Co. is involved." Lewis smiled wryly. It always amused him when they referenced their gaming exploits in real life.

"This isn't funny, Lewis! I know it doesn't seem all that important to you, but Sips can't win this!" It was sometimes hard to tell if his anger was a real or a joke, but Lewis had known Simon long enough to know when he wasn't kidding.

"Sorry man, I... I didn't realise." Guilt was filling Lewis up inside. Simon had spent a long time talking about his tactics and ideas to win, but he'd just assumed he was kidding. Jaffa's were kind of Simon's thing though and Sips would never let him hear the end of it.

"Well it can't have been Sips, or Hannah, because they went shopping before they came into the office, and still aren't here yet. Martyn's off sick and Sjin's been locked in his room, working on his "secret project." Who else could have taken it?!" Sometimes it was hard to take his anger seriously, what with his ginger beard and glasses, he wasn't really that scary. Simon slumped down in one of the office chairs next to Lewis and stared at the board. His disappointment and frsutration was very clear.

"Erm, I guess you could have eaten them and not realised? Or maybe someone else just moved it. I don't know, man." Lewis drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair as the pair slumped into a comfortable silence, despite Simon's bitter mood. This is one of the best things about their friendship; they both know they should be doing work but neither really cared all that much. They were simply content to sit and let the warm rays of the sun burst through the windows and tickle their skin.

A shrill scream pierced the air from the street below, that of a woman in danger. The nerdy pair awoke from their reverie, looked at one another and ran to the window. Flinging it open, they stuck their heads inquisitively outside. Below them was a woan in a red dress, fending off two stumbling men. Their arms were outstretched, grasping out to grab her.

"They seem a bit drunk for this time. It's only half-past-bloody-two!" Simon exclaimed, as the woman slipped, her high heels cracked as she fumbled backwards into the curb of the street.

Lewis stared intensely at the events unfurling below, "that's really not what we should worry about, look at her! She's terrified. Should we help?" he eventually murmured, "but what could we do? We're all the way up her-"

"Oi! Get off her!" Simon yelled, cutting his friend off mid-sentence, his deep shout echoing around the street below. The men continued forward regardless, only pausing long enough to let the girl scream again. "C'mon, let's go help her."

With a dry laugh, Lewis said, "Yeah, we can be heroes in the real world for once. Lead the way, Honeydew!" Quickly, they dashed out the building and out into the street. Both knew they were going to be about as useful as a sack of potatoes in a fight, but their presence might be enough to simply scare the attackers off. Maybe. Hopefully. With a final burst of speed, the pair stumbled onto the pavement. Even though they'd only been moving for not even half a minute, they were both out of breath.

"We really need to get out more," came the mutter from under Simon's breath. Lewis smiled at his friend as the same thought had just crossed his mind. "Oi!" he shouted once more, making his way to across the street, to wear the two men now pinned the woman to the ground, her legs flailing wildly, but her shouts were muffled. "Oi, are you listening. I will call the police if you don't leave!"

The man on the left was wearing a deep blue suit, while the other a pair of garish, yellow jogger shorts that revealed far too much than was needed and a white tank top. An iPod was still pinned to the top of his shorts. They didn't look like the sort of people who'd be drinking at this time. Suddenly they stopped, as though finally realising there were other people around. The woman had stopped moving, as though sensing someone had finally come to save her from the terrible ordeal.

Slowly, the guy in the suit turned, his movements shakey and laboured. But as his eyes came into view it was obvious this wasn't some ordinary drunk guy. Bloodshot and glazed, it was like he wasn't really seeing anything. his skin was pale, and his mouth covered in blood. A large bloodstain covered the front of his shirt. As the feral scream was unleashed from his lips, the jogger joined his companion in standing up. He too was pale and his arm had a chuink missing right down to the bone.

"What. The Fuck."

All was right with the world that fateful Tuesday. Well, until shit hit the fan and the dead started walking.


	2. Chapter 2 - Bricks and the Z Word

Chapter 2 - Bricks and the Z Word

The Businessman lunged forward, his blood encrusted hands reaching out hoping to grab it's prey and his face contorted menacingly. As he gained momentum, his stumbled quickened with every step. Lewis and Simon, paralyzed with a mix of fear and bewilderment, merely stood staring at the abomination coming towards them, jaws hanging ajar.

"Simon," Lewis whispered, "is that real blood?"

"I really hope not, Lewis" Simon replied in kind, "I really, really hope not."

With a growl, the suited man took the final step towards the pair and his arms shot threw the air with surprising speed towards them. Lewis dived to the side, just out of reach and just in time, but Simon wasn't so lucky. His evasion attempt left him sprawled on the floor and the full force of the bleeding man's body slammed down on top of him.

A rotting stench filled Simon's nostril, causing him to to cough and splutter even more. As if being winded by the weight of the man falling on him wasn't bad enough. The terror that had held him in place, now caused Simon to flail about desperately to free himself.

"Lewis! Lewis!" Simon yelled, his voice cracking in fear. "Lewis, get this crazy drunk off of me." As the man got his bearings, his eyes locked onto Simon's face and his mouth opened widely, anticipating his next meal. Simon yelled again, his mind too engulfed in fear to actually say anything that made any sense. Images flashed before his eyes of those hours spent battling through hordes of similar looking creatures. Laughs had been had with friends, and death never really delayed you for long. But never had he envisioned that those fearsome monsters would ever become a reality. The man lunged forward with his neck, before another body joined the pile.

Lewis had recovered quickly and, seeing his best friend in trouble, had charged to the rescue. He too saw the familiar signs, but refused to admit it to himself and pushed the evidence to the back of his mind. Instead, without really knowing it, he was tumbling across the floor with the mad stranger. Instinctively, he swung his fist in the general direction of his opponents face as they struggled across the floor. The punch landed with a satisfying crunch. Managing to climb on top of the man and pin him down, Lewis got a good look at him again, looking for evidence that his theory was total bollocks. It didn't look good.

Another yell drew Lewis' attention away. Simon was charging towards the him with a breeze block in hand from the building site down the road. "You undead git!" came the warcry, and before Lewis could object, Simon brought the brick down on top of their attackers skull, crushing it instantly. Lewis could tell it was dead as all of the tension and strain that was fighting against him evaporated.

"What the hell, man?!" Lewis leapt backwards away from corpse, which was now arranged in a way that looked freakishly like a scene in one of Hannah's "The Walking Dead" videos. A pang in his stomach registered as just another confirmation for his worst fear. "You just... murdered that guy!"

Simon was now almost as white faced as Israphel, though his cheecks had an almost green tinge to them. "It... it had to be done. He was going to bite you, that's what he tried to do to me!" His speeach was laboured and uneasy. "Oh god, what the hell is going on? Did I just kill someone!?"

Simon bent double and vomited all over the middle of the road.

Standing up, Lewis grabbed the brick from the floor and turned back towards where the woman had fell. "Simon," he said in a low voice, "we're not done here, friend." A deep growl from the jogger and the woman in red, whose dress was now ripped and her innards now trailing out of her stomach and dragged on the floor behind her, was the only response. Grabbing the brick tighter, Lewis swung his arm back, preparing himself for the swing. He knew what had to be done...

Slam! With a bang, Lewis closed the door behind him and turned the lock so hard he almost snapped the key. For the next few moments, only his and Simon's deep breathing filled the room. Sweat beaded on his brow and his hands shook violently. Simon wasn't fairing much better.

"This... this can't be happening, Lewis. This is insane!" Simon was directing his speech towards his friend, but seemed more to be reassuring himself more than anything. He continued, pacing up and down the room, "If this is really happening, then we have to let people know. Make a video about it or something... No it's ridiculous! But if it's not really happening, then we just killed three people" Suddenly he stopped and stared desperately into Lewis' face. "Tell me this isn't happening!"

But he couldn't. Lewis looked down at his hands and knew no matter how many times he would wash them, they'd always seem a little bit more scarlet than they did before. "I don't know what just happened out there, but we have to round everyone up and make sure we're all safe. We can't go chasing everyone down if this gets any worse, it won't be safe."

They looked at each other again, an intense, dark stare that only lasted seconds but the transfer of information that occured was immense. Finally, the look ended and both resigned to the threat they now faced.

If it wasn't smashing a man's skull clean in half, it might have been holding the jogger down while Lewis did the same, that had forced Simon into this conclusion. Slipping in a pool of blood and using a woman's intestines to stand back up was probably Lewis' turning point. He walked to the window and leant on the adjacent wall, where only minutes ago he and Simon had been warming themselves after their little spat. Although the sun still shone brightly, it's rays didn't seem as warm of relaxing. Looking through, he saw the woman's body next to her former attackers, her innards still trailing across the floor.

"Are they... ya' know," Simon started, unable to properly formulate what he wanted to say, "What do we call them? Them? Walkers? Zom-"

"I don't know!" Lewis exclaimed, slamming his fist into the wall he'd been leaning on. "This could be some 28 Days rubbish where they're infected with a rage inducing virus, but they sure as hell look dead to me. Was there anything on the news this morning about it?" As he asked the question, Lewis tried to keep his voice under control, which was hard to do after all that had happened.

"The internet's been down. Duncan went out to use his friend's connection to upload our videos for the day." Simon sat down on his previously occupied chair with a slump. Rubbing his forehead, Simon sighed, "I'll tell you what though, I regret eating all those Jaffas. They don't taste half as nice on the way back up."


	3. Chapter 3 - Runeblade

Chapter 3 - Runeblade

With a sharp rap of his knuckles, Lewis once again knocked on the door to Sjin' office. He'd been working on a project for the end episode to the Shadow of Israphel for about a week straight and no one was even allowed in his office in case the surprise got ruined somehow. "Come on, we aren't kidding. This is serious, Sjin!"

"Aaw, you know I don't want you to be here. Is it really that important?" came the kind-voiced, muffled reply.

Lewis sighed; Sjin wouldn't believe what had happened unless he saw the state of his clothing. "Just... get out of there! I promise I won't look, but I have a, erm, 'surprise' for you too." The door lock clicked and Sjin popped his head around the door, a big grin on his face. He loved having this secret project and relished in everyone trying to guess what it was. The smile was soon wiped from his face the moment his eyes caught sight of the blood.

"What happened? Are you okay? Or is it Simon?" Sjin was frantic, and Lewis wondered why he himself wasn't acting a bit more like that. He was shaken up, sure, but he had to make sure everyone was safe. It was time to be strong. Motioning to follow him, Lewis turned and led Sjin into the main room and pointed out the window.

"Let me explain..." he began, as he told the brief story of their fight. Sjin's jaw dropped slowly as he heard more and more. Confusion turned to disbelief, then into almost acceptance. Lewis wasn't one to lie, there were no holes in his story and the blood and bits of flesh smelled real enough; a sickening, musky stench. But still, Sjin had his doubts.

With a small smile, Sjin questioned him. "I don't see how this can be real. Is this a practical joke? Is Sips hiding somewhere with a camera?" He looked around suspiciously, trying to catch out his friend.

"Just go look at Simon! It's pretty obvious how shaken up he is." Lewis waved his hand in his best friend's direction, his tone starting to turn angry. He knew it sounded insane, but he hated it when people didn't believe him. "Better yet, go look at the bodies outside!"

Sjin jogged into the main room where Simon sat, still looking very queasy, and looked out of the window. His face turned as white as a sheet. "Wh-what do we do?" he stuttered, now unable to deny the truth set out before him. "We have to let people know! What's the quickest way to get this information out there?"

"We should make a video!" Simon exclaimed excitedly, finally standing up, "all we'd have to do is film us and those things outside and that's like a couple of million people told in a few minutes. Problem solved! Everyone can just grab a shovel and do the old Diggy Diggy Hole on a zombies face if they see it!"

Dead silence filled the room. Was that really that simple? They were in a great position of power here, and they could solve everything by just uploading a video. "Seven Hells, Simon," Sjin cursed, "we don't have an internet connection do we?"

"Even if we did," Lewis joined in bitterly, "how do we know there's anyone left out there to watch it?" Another silence fell, this time however it seemed slightly less dramatic. Cogs whirred in the trio's brains as they analysed their situation. There wasn't a TV in the office, so finding what the rest of the world was like on there, but what about mobile internet? Almost in unison, phone's were brought from pockets or grabbed from nearby tables.

"I haven't had an update on twitter for the past hour." Simon's voice broke the silence as he flicked through as many applications one his phone as he could, his fingers flying across it.

"Me neither," Sjin agreed, he too deep in concentration.

"Nor I," came Lewis' affirmation.

A small, childish chuckle escaped from Simon's mouth. "What was that?!" he giggled, "why couldn't you just say something normal? Why 'nor I?'" His mimicry of Lewis was exaggerated so much even Sjin cracked a smile.

"It... just, it was a synonym!" Lewis said, flustered, "and now's not the time to be picking me up on how I speak Simon!" Sitting down, he rubbed his face with the palms of his hands, hoping against hope that this was all just some weird nightmare and he could wake up any minute having fallen asleep in the warm sunlight. Suddenly a thought struck him. "What if that was it? We could have just saved the world, for real this time!"

"Maybe," Sjin muttered, his tone solemn, "but if you didn't, we need to find everyone and make sure they're safe. We don't know how far this has spread."

Bang! A gunshot was fired in the distance, the explosion echoing around the streets below. Round after round was fired, but suddenly it stopped. A few people began to come out from their houses and work places to investigate the noise, some screaming at the sight of the corpses that Simon and Lewis had left behind.

"Why is that everyone seems to own a gun in a Zombie apocalypse," Simon whispered, as the group edged closer to the window, listening and staring intensely on the outside world. A man ran down the street, his arm covered in blood and a gun in his hand.

"Run!" he yelled in a deep, gruff voice. He was clutching his bleeding arm tightly and wincing in pain. "Run!"

"Do you think he's been bitt-" Simon began, before Lewis shushed at him, signaling he should be quiet. It wasn't like they were hiding, Lewis just didn't want to think about it. How could be exactly like how so many people had written about in works of fiction? You got bitten, you died, then you turned into one of them. It was too perfect.

At that point a group of them, around twenty to thirty strong burst out of the alleyway that the man had appeared from. At first people didn't react, and it wasn't until the dead had barreled down on top of the closest targets and eaten them alive did the rest flee in terror. The streets roared with the screaming of the terrified.

Simon tightened his grip on the window sill. "We can't just let them suffer, we have to help them!" His pale skin had returned to it's ordinary colour. It was still really pale, he played video games all day.

"What can we do against a horde of zombies, Simon?" Lewis questioned mockingly. "We're three very nerdy, very weak gamers with no weapons and no idea what's going on!"

The sun began to sink lower and the day entered mid afternoon, and a ray of light flashed across Simon's glasses as an almost feral smile appeared on his lips. "Three out of four ain't bad, Lewis. We have one weapon... one of the greatest weapons in all of Azeroth."

Lewis and Sjin's eyes lit up, dazzled by Simon's genius idea. The three of them shared a quick glance, the shrieks of those in the streets hammering against the windows as the spark of hope was lit. Voices in unison, they uttered one single word together.

"Frostmourne."


	4. Chapter 4 - Running, So Much Running!

Chapter 4 - Running... So Much Running!

Lewis shivered, but not from being cold. It was late afternoon, and the streets would still be warm from the day's sunlight, but there was a chill in his heart. Before him were two of his best friends, but they needed to find the rest of the people he loved and cherished for making his life as great as it was. It wasn't a prospect he was looking forward to. They were crouched down behind the main doors of the building, gearing themselves up to head out into a very different world.

Gulping audibly, he examined his fellow potential zombie slayers. Simon gripped Frostmourne tightly in his right hand, his knuckles white. He'd won the right to wield the mighty blade in a tense game of rock, paper, scissors and since it was his idea to use it, Lewis thought Simon deserved to win anyway. The blade wasn't really a sword, but it was sharp and heavy enough to cause some serious damage if swung with enough force. Sjin had raided the kitchen shortly afterwards and was now equipped with numerous kitchen utensils. Two long, sharp knives were held blade down in Sjin's hands. His argument was he'd rather stab a zombie like that than be tempted to slash at it. At his belt hung more weapons; knives, forks and spoons. Even a spatula, but Lewis couldn't get around that one. Resting jauntily on his head was a colander.

Lewis examined his own array of weaponry. Simon had tossed him Doomhammer, another WoW replica weapon, after recovering his blade from the office. Again, the weapon was heavy enough to crack open some heads if Lewis really put his back into it, but the cumbersome nature of it worried Lewis slightly. He didn't want to over swing and leave himself vulnerable.

Steeling himself, Lewis took a deep breath and then nodded at Simon. It'd gotten to the point where it was ridiculous to just sit here and wait for any longer. Simon nodded back, and then swung open the door slowly. The street was deathly quiet. Lewis cursed himself for describing the street that way. "Deathly" wasn't a word he wanted to be using right now.

Now that light was streaming in through the open door, Lewis could see the paleness of Sjin's skin. He really didn't look well and being the only one of the group not to have encountered a zombie before, it was understandable that he was nervous. Lewis gave a thumbs-up to Sjin, who only grimaced in reply, before dashing out the front door, Simon on his heels.

The larger man had become almost serious for the first time in a while. He hadn't uttered a single joke or laughed since they saw the policeman through the window, but Lewis had to focus on getting everyone out of Bristol alive. Only then could he worry about their mental state.  
He took three paces, before crouching behind one of the many vehicles parked along the street. Simon pulled up next to him and Sjin followed suit. Peaking around the side of the car, Lewis check the coast was clear, or as clear as it could be, before moving along to behind the next car. Up the street they travelled, staying low and out of sight of the zombies that were going to town on their new meal. He hoped it'd take them long enough to eat that the group could get out of range.

They'd decided that the best course of action would be to go to the closest place they knew someone was. That meant the shop Hannah and Sips had gone to, Ikea. Then they would stop off at Duncan's friend's house, then make their way out of the city. Hopefully the countryside would be safer.  
Not knowing what kind of strengths and weaknesses the zombies had made the journey difficult. Did they rely on scent, sight or hearing? They'd moved slowly and quickly before, so was it a Left 4 Dead situation with different zombies having different abilities? Right now, they just moved as safely and quickly as they could. It was a few minutes before Lewis held up his fist and signalled to stop their march.

"The next car is got to be a hundred metres down the street," he hissed. "And there is a group of them between us, that car and the end of the road. We turn right down there and keep going until we hit the turning for the motorway."

"Wh-what do we do then?" Sjin whimpered, his pale face beaded with sweat. Lewis and Simon shared a look and nodded once more.

"We run, on our own. Less chance of them noticing us then." It was Simon who spoke, his voice low and deadly. It wasn't a suggestion, that was the plan. Lewis was a little scared of his friend's new demeanour. But before he knew it, Lewis found himself going along with it. Fighting was the last option. On their own a zombie was usually pretty easy to deal with, at least they were in theory Lewis reminded himself, but in groups they'd easily overpower you.

"Go," Simon urged him, so Lewis took off. Crouching low and sprinting as fast as he could, rather than the jogging pace that the group had taken before, he ran past the biggest threat to his life he'd ever faced. The end of the road seemed like an eternity away and no matter how many paces he took, it never seemed to get closer. Despite being a fair distance away, Lewis could almost feel the putrid breath of his would-be assailants on his neck. Resisting the urge to look over his shoulder, Lewis powered forward. With his legs beginning to burn, he finally made it to the turning and dived into a small porch to stay out of sight.

Pearing out from the small alcove, Lewis spotted Simon thundering along behind him, almost half way down the gap. He was making good progress until Sjin's shriek pierced the air. Still next to the car, and preparing himself for the run, Sjin hadn't thought to watch his own back. A zombie had found him and, having fallen to the ground under the zombies assault, Sjin had stabbed wildly with one of the knives and it's blade now pierced the heart of his attacker, keeping it at bay. But that wouldn't be enough to stop such an undead monster. Still it grasped for Sjin's face, but his reach was too long for it to get a hold of him. However, his strength wouldn't last forever and the shout of surprised had alerted those nearby.

"Balls," Lewis cursed, before charging back to his friend's aid. "Hold those four off!" he yelled to Simon as he sprinted past. More zombies from along the stream had began to take interest, slowly stumbling down the street towards them. There must have been forty of them, much more than the three survivors could handle. And Lewis was running towards them. Very clever.

With a mighty yell, Lewis swung Doomhammer upwards; the heavy, rune-encrusted block of plastic swooshing through the air before colliding with a crunch on Sjin's attacker's jaw. It toppled over but continued to gurgle, only one side of it's jaw still attached and hanging limply from it's pale green face. Lewis brought his weapon arching through the air and obliterated the zombie's skull, averting his gaze at the last second. Although he had avoided directly looking at the attack, the brain matter and skull fragments that now coated the bottom of his jeans hadn't been able to ignore it's effects. Nor had Sjin as he whimpered thanks to Lewis.

"Go, run. Now!" he commanded, as Sjin scrambled to his feet and took off, holding the colander tightly to his head. Lewis didn't hang around for long and quickly followed his friend. On the way he spotted Simon fighting ferociously and so he changed the course of his run to go help. Three of the zombies had been dealt with by the time Lewis got there and the fourth was struggling on the ground under Simon's boot. With a snarl, he plunged Frostmourne through it's head, causing the flailing limbs to go limp lifeless. Just like his sword, Simon was covered in blood, and spat on the corpse below him in disgust. Something had changed within him, that was sure, but if anything it was reassuring for Lewis that Simon could more than handle himself it seemed.

"C'mon, let's get out of here," the ginger-bearded warrior suggested, wiping his blade clean on his shirt, "I wouldn't want to stick around much longer." Lewis couldn't agree more, and the pair took off around the corner as the shambling horde followed close on their heels.


	5. Chapter 5 - Sally's Sofas

Chapter 5 - Sally's Sofas

Having never ran so much in his life, Lewis knew that any more and he'd topple over and be easy prey for the mob behind them. Simon was beside him, panting and puffing just as much as he was, while Sjin was just ahead. The road in front seemed clear enough, and the slow movements of the zombies they'd encountered so far gave them enough time to slow to a stop. Lewis could already feel the beads of sweat on his brow and his lungs felt like they were on fire.

"Where to... where to..." he gasped, "where to now? Do we just keep going?"

With a nod, Simon dragged Lewis by the arm and started jogging along the street at a much slower pace. They couldn't rest for long as the gurgles of their foes could be heard behind them, just about to turn the corner.

"We should get out of sight. Maybe if they can't see us, they won't be able to detect us or something," Simon looked doubtful as he spoke, but they couldn't keep going down the street like they'd planned. If they got cut off they would be royally buggered. "Sjin!"

Now a couple hundred metres in front of them, Sjin was still jogging away, but stopped abruptly when he heard his name called. "What!?"

"All this shouting is such a bad idea..." Simon mumbled, before pushing on to catch up. "Look, we need to get into one of these buildings, as soon as those bastards get around the corner they'll lock onto us like hawks. Undead, gribbly hawks. With sharp beaks. And... rotting... legs. I don't know! The point is, they'll find us if we don't hide."

Sjin looked around frantically. The more space he'd put between him and the zombies, the calmer he felt. Now Simon had brought them up again, he seemed to panic. "Erm, erm... sofa shop! We can use the sofa's as barricades." The road they were on was lined with small, mainly independent businesses. News agents, speciality card shops and the occasional fast food stop were common place, all spread between terraced houses. A newer building, however, had a sign outside that read, "Sally's Sofas: Perfect Seats to Rest your Feet."

Reading the sign again, Simon moaned. "That doesn't rhyme properly... Sally is terrible with slogans." Sighing, he made his way forward towards the shop, scooped some of the blood from his clothes onto his finger and crouched before the sign. Lewis was puzzled. It would be much easier, and safer, to get clean inside the shop. Sjin's eyes were locked on end of the street that lead back to YogTowers and whimpered as he caught sight of what he had been waiting for.

"Guys..."

Simon stood back up and chuckled before heading inside. In blood, he'd scrawled an "S" onto the end of the sign's half-rhyme. "At least it works now," he said over his shoulder. Lewis dived through the doorway, with Sjin close behind.

"First job is the analyse the walls, windows and doors." Simon said, a tone of command in his voice. It was nice, Lewis thought, that there was still a bit of playfulness in him still, even if it was a bit morbid. And Lewis thought they'd need a leader if it came down to it. Usually he and Simon would share leadership, but this wasn't a game situation. This was life and death. If Simon wanted that role, that responsibility... Lewis would gladly let him have it. "So we have the main door, plastic, and near-ceiling windows. This is a good choice Sjin, they'll have a hard time getting in."

Looking around, Lewis saw that Simon spoke the truth. The building was detached from the others around it and it had two stories, but the actual store front itself was only the ground floor. The room they were in was about a square hundred metres, filled to the brim with sofa's and lounge chairs of varying colours, styles and materials. "Obviously Sally didn't get much business," he remarked.

"In either case, we should barricade the door and look to cover the windows with something, just as a precaution." Simon continued, and then started heaving one of the sofas, a blue, fabric-y one, over to the front door. "Do you two want to check the other rooms?" Sjin darted off, spatula and knives in hand. Lewis made his way to a staircase to investigate the upper levels.

It was dark up here. The curtains were still closed as if the person who lived here, presumably the titular Sally, had only just got up before she stopped her daily routine. Hopefully she was okay. "Hello?" Lewis called out as he poked his head through each doorway. "Hello-oo?" Living room, check. Kitchen, check. Bedroom, check. The upstairs was clear and safe, hopefully Simon and Sjin had managed to make the shop entrance the same way.

Stood in the middle of this bedroom though, Lewis felt a strange feeling came over him. Sure they were running for their lives, but did that give them a right to barge into here? They could have endangered the lives of everyone who lived here by luring the horde to them. Seeing the unmade bed and the clothes scattered across the floor, Lewis realised how real everything was and how quickly he'd changed. This was something he'd never have done a few hours ago. Shaking his head, he peaked through the curtains.

In the few minutes that he'd been in here, the sun had almost fully set and the streets were now pitch black. But the shambling horde was just visible, wandering outside on the street. Having lost their prey, they decided to just wait around and hope for more to come along. Great, just great. Watching how the group of undead moved put Lewis into a sort of trance. Movements rippled through them like a wave, as if they were all sort of... connected in some way. It was hypnotic. Lewis could imagine watching it for a while, until another shout broke him from his reverie.

It was Sjin, again. Did he not understand that noise attracted them!? Lewis sprinted back down the stairs, Doomhammer in hand, determined to help his friend. or at least shut him up. He continued to shout, but was suddenly cut off. Almost tripping on the last step, Lewis stumbled into an even quicker pace. "Sjin?" he whispered loudly. It was one of those whispers that you want to be loud enough for the person you're aiming it at to hear, but no one else. A whimper was the only reply. "Sjin!?"

"He's fine," Simon said, his voice echoing down the hall way. Approaching them, lewis once more peeked around a doorway. Sjin was in the floor, a woman's body on top of him, the back of her head smashed open by Simon's sword. "He got attacked, it's nothing. He'll be fine." Pushing the body off him in disgust, Sjin stood up. His face and clothes were covered in the woman's blood.

"F-fine?! Fine!? I'm not fine! that th-thing almost K-killed me!" Visibly shaking, Sjin pointed a finger accusingly at Simon. "I'm not like you, apparently. That was a person, I don't like fighting or killing or... or..." Lowering his hand, Sjin collapsed to the floor and began to sob violently. Lewis shot Simon a dark look, who sighed and went back into the front of the shop.

"Sjin, Sjin, look. It's okay," Lewis tried to calm his friend, but still he cried out, getting louder and louder. "Sjin, listen to me, you have to stop crying and making noise. They're drawn to it, remember? You don't want more of them, do you?"

"I hate them, Lewis!" Sjin shouted, "they, they're disgusting and horrible but m-most of all... they scare me, Lewis. I'm terrified of them." The fear in his voice and in the look in his eyes sent a shudder down Lewis' spine. The truth was they scared him too, but he was more scared of being dead.

"We're all scared, Sjin. We just have to fight through it to stay alive." It was the most comforting thing he could think of, but Lewis didn't notice any change in his friend.

"I don't think I can do it, though." Sjin muttered, he'd stopped crying, but now his voice was full of something else. Shame. "I see how you and Simon have fought today, and I can't ever see myself doing that. I... I don't want to be a burden on you two, or anyone else we come across. When I saw that woman, I just froze and she dove on me. If Simon wasn't as quick, then I'd be... I'd have..."

Slumping against the wall, lewis sat and thought how best to respond. "You're not a burden, Sjin. You're our friend, you're one of us. The Yogscast stick together, no matter what. I'm actually jealous of you, really. I wish I could have held onto the humanity that you seem to have."

Wiping his eyes and nose, Sjin nodded and smiled. "Sorry, Lewis. I'll try to be a bit more useful. Please don't mention this to anyone?" Lewis nodded in affirmation, before his vision was drawn to the door into the main shop where Simon had just appeared.

"Guys, we have an issue." The banging of fists on the sofa-braced door confirmed Simon's worry.


	6. Chapter 6 - Windows (No, not the OS)

**Chapter 6 - Windows (No, not the OS.)**

"So how long will it last?" Lewis stumbled back as the make-shift barricade wobbled slightly against the weight being thrust upon it by the monsters outside. Doomhammer was slippery in his hand, coated in sweat which would make it difficult to wield. Seriously, they could do with a break. The first question to come to mind had been "how did they find us?" Only a few minutes ago had the horde been milling around pointlessly but now they had pinpointed their exact location. Quickly, Lewis caught himself and the quick glance at Sjin made him so glad to have done so. The guilt plastered all over his friend's face was obvious and there was no need in bringing attention to him.

Simon scowled at Sjin before answering the question. Apparently his mind had been on blaming Sjin too, but as the sofas bulged once again he decided to respond. "Hell if I know, Lewis. It's not like an expert on zombie defensive measures." Again, the usually jolly man had turned surly and was slumped against a stack of armchairs breathing heavily. Wrinkles that hadn't been there this morning had somehow crept onto Simon's face, the crazy situation taking it's toll quickly and viciously. Waving his hand at the pile of furniture that was stacked against the door, Simon continued, "Eventually, something's going to give. We need to find another way out. Was there anything upstairs?"

Lewis searched his brain as he and Sjin leant against the barricade to hopefully stop it falling down before they had a plan. Despite the danger that lurked only a few metres away, the scene looked oddly relaxed. With his arm resting on the pommel of his sword, Simon could not have looked more like the nerdiest model alive if he tried. His pose would have fit right in a catalogue advertising high-end apparel. Shaking his head, Lewis rid himself of the distraction and focussed on the problem at hand.

"We could always try and get to the roof? There's no way they could follow us up there." The suggestion wasn't met with a standing ovation, but nor was it disregarded entirely, so Lewis pushed on. "There must be some form of access hatch up stairs." With a quick nod, the group agreed and the search began. As he once again trudged up the staircase, Lewis muttered under his breath. "Hopefully..."

Lewis had thought he'd been thorough in his previous venture upstairs, but it seems he still knew nothing of the layout or where any sort of roof access could be located. He told himself he'd only focussed on looking for zombies, but the others wouldn't buy it. It'd only been a couple of hours since this all began but that panic of running away from something so horrific had warped his brain quickly. He couldn't really focus properly. "We need a way out, we need a way out." His murmuring turned into a chant as Lewis once again scoured the rooms of the sofa shop that helped him keep his mind on task. As he opened the door into the bedroom once more, Lewis quickly flicked his vision across the ceiling before making a hasty retreat. That was not a good room for him to be in, especially since the person who once used it was downstairs with her head cracked open.

"Sjin, Lewis." It was Simon's voice and he didn't sound very excited. When they regrouped, a pale-faced Simon was shaking his head. "The roof's not an option is it? There's no access up here at all! Lewis, I thought you said you saw a way out up here!?" With his voice slowly raising louder and louder, Lewis waved his arms to calm him down.

"Simon, I said there might be a w-"

"No!" before Lewis could finish, Simon span and slammed his fist into the wall. Breathing deeply, the bigger man took his time before replying. Sjin gulped audibly, just as stunned by his friend's outburst as Lewis was. Eventually, Simon calmed himself but didn't turn back to face them. "No. We're getting out of here. Through the window if need be."

Laughing disbelievingly, Lewis could never have expected something like this coming from Simon. He wasn't one to take massive risks, at least not outside of a game world, but this was hugely risky and so much could go wrong. "You can't be serious? We don't even know what's going to happen, the barricade might hold and they might just lea-"

An almighty crash interrupted Lewis for the second time. Just as he was about to complain about the fact, Lewis realised what it meant. "Dear god..." Sjin whispered under his breath. "Looks like the window's the best idea then?" It took them a few seconds before the urgency of the situation was upon them and the group sprang into action. Luckily, the room they were in had two windows, which meant they wouldn't have to queue up to get out. Operating almost silently, Sjin barricaded the door with as much as he could while Lewis found himself helping Simon to yank the windows open. They opened wide, which would make it easier to get out. If it wasn't for the whole zombie invasion thing happening, Lewis would have thought they were having a lucky day.

"Right, it looks like we'll have to go out facing in, then grab the ledge above the window to get onto the roof. Who's going to go last?" Simon seemed to have everything planned out perfectly, but didn't want to make that decision on his own. Lewis didn't need to look at Sjin to know how much the idea would freak him out. Being left alone against countless undead wasn't his first choice, but he would have a better chance than Sjin of fighting them off.

"I'll do it." The words were out of his mouth before he could even think about what he was saying. Lewis wiped the sweat that was running down his brow and knew it was better that way. As long as he didn't think about how crazy all this was, he'd be fine. "Go, get out." Simon went first and with surprising agility and grace, he slipped out the window and began to stand up. Sjin copied him and squirmed out of the window on the other side of the room.

Looking over his shoulder at the door, Lewis waited with baited breath for it to start to tremble under the fury of undead hands. It seems the idea of pulling themselves up onto the roof wasn't exactly perfect after all as Simon gave a muffled cry for help. It was with a dry smile that Lewis grabbed one of his feet and shoved him upwards.

Thud.

Scrambling onto the roof, Simon called down. His voice seemed so far away...

Thud.

"Pass the sword up then go help Sjin, quick!"

Thud. Thud.

The temptation to ensure his own safety sprang to Lewis' mind. That noise at the door was not good. Being found was not good. Not good at all. His legs turning to jelly, Lewis grabbed Frostmourne and shoved it into the disembodied hand that was reaching down from the roof and managed to get to the other window and push Sjin up too, who quickly took Doomhammer for safe keeping.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

"What's wrong with me?" Lewis hissed. He could hear Simon calling for him to hurry up, but everything seemed to slow down. Was he tired? In shock? Or was it just pure fear that made every motion torture. Somehow, Lewis pulled himself up onto the window sill and stood up, just as the door collapsed and the horde poured through.  
Both Simon and Sjin's heads popped over the edge of the roof and extended arms down to him, and as the first zombie loomed closer Lewis couldn't help but panic. He'd given away his weapon and was hanging half out a window that was two floors up. Clenching his eyes shut, Lewis willed himself to wake up. The nightmare could end now. Come on. That's enough.

"Lewis, what the fuck are you doing!?"

Startled, Lewis flung open his eyes just as he had done the windows and quickly snapped out of his state. Sadly, a bit too late. The closest monster wore a suit and his one remaining arm, the other apparently gnawed right off by his fellow zombies, was now clamped tightly around Lewis' ankle.

"Fuuuck! Fuckfuckfuckingshitbollocks." Kicking wildly, Lewis grabbed hold of the two arms above him. The zombies jaw cracked as one of the kicks connected but still it wouldn't let go. More zombies were closing in but all he had to fight with was one flailing foot. He was defenceless. The sight of the room and the zombies within disappeared suddenly as with an almighty yank, the two Yogs on the roof managed to pull Lewis free of the window and his torso made it up onto the roof.

"Come on you lazy bugger, you can pull yourself up from there." Simon laughed now that the danger had seemingly passed, but the zombie still clung to Lewis' leg and his arms were not strong enough to support the weight of both of them. With one last look at Simon's gingery beard spattered with blood and the colander on Sjin's head shimmering in the pale moonlight, Lewis lost his grip on the roof and tumbled to the ground below.


	7. Chapter 7 - Stars

**Chapter 7 - Stars**

Have you ever thought about stars? They're amazing. Formed through the almost magical force of gravity, specs of dust are drawn to one another, gradually getting bigger and bigger and having a stronger and stronger gravitational pull. Eventually, the pressure and heat within the centre of the budding star becomes too much and it ignites into an explosion-fueled ball of heat and light. Destroying and creating new atoms every second, the star shines brightly across the galaxy an filling the otherwise inky-black emptiness of space. They're amazing.

Lewis stared at the sky as he fell, the stars twinkling at him almost as if they were saying goodbye. Their lifespans would eclipse countless human's and Lewis would just be one drop in the sea of death that would soon engulf the entire world. The whistle of wind eclipsed all other sound. Even Sjin and Simon's shouting could not be heard despite them not being too much above him.

Seeing their faces triggered something within Lewis. Often, he'd heard of people experiencing a flashback of their lives in near-death experiences as their brain tried desperately to find a way out. However, the scenes that filled his vision weren't helpful at all but instead were just filled with happiness. Lewis had lived a good life. Yeah, he'd never been super popular and he'd always been a bit of a geek, but that was never a bad thing really. He'd enjoyed his younger years. Recently though, his life had flourished. Day after day, he'd enjoyed himself immensely and also entertained millions. He was a household name for a lot of people and it was amazing. No life could have been more perfect. No regrets.

With the way he was falling, the end would come quickly. The fall would either kill him instantly or he'd be unable to move and the monster that was falling below him would chow down almost instantly. Broken limbs had never stopped a zombie before. It was odd how relieved Lewis felt about it. His life had been good and now his end would be swift. What more could he ask for? It was a shame that he'd never see his friends again though, Hannah especially. They bickered relentlessly, but anything else wouldn't have felt right. He loved her, so very much.

A small smile tugged at Lewis' lips as he evaluated his life in the few moments it took him to fall. The fear and tiredness he'd experienced while climbing through the window evaporated and was instead replaced with peace and acceptance. Breathing in deeply, Lewis took his last breath, closed his eyes and listened to the whistle of the air passing him.

With a sharp sting, that breath was forced from his lungs as a coldness enveloped him. But still he fell. This couldn't be right. Had he entered some sort of afterlife? With no air in his burning lungs, Lewis took another deep breath only to find himself choking. Was it an endless hell he'd been placed in? If he hadn't been so confused and in pain, Lewis would have been cursing any and all gods right now. Looking up again, the distorted faces of his friends and the ever-dazzling stars could still be seen looking down at him, rippling slightly as though underwater...

Wait, underwater? With a start, Lewis righted himself easily and dragged his arms through his murky surroundings. Sure enough, their faces got closer and as he broke the surface their shouting became clearer. The fall into what must have been some sort of pond had winded him and the entire back half of his body stung, but Lewis managed to raise his voice.

"I'm okay," he shouted out, coughing up water. Relief spread over Simon and Sjin's faces. Noticing the huge amount of undergrowth surrounded the pool of water, it became clear why it was so well hidden from above. "I'm okay, I'm okay!" Coughing once again wracked Lewis' body, but with renewed fervour he dragged his pained body from the ice cold water where he slumped down onto his hands and knees. Water poured from his clothes, dripping onto the grass and turning the dirt to mud. Eventually the coughing subsided and Lewis drew deep breaths. All the running, fighting and falling had stripped him of what little strength he had. Hopefully this would help get a portion of that back.

"Lewis, you have to get out of there!" Simon's voice brought his attention back to the world around him, instead of focusing on the awful shape he was in. Doomhammer landed on the grass in front of him with a small thump. "Take it just in case, we'll try and get down to you!" It was a stupid plan, Lewis could tell. As he stood and retrieved his well weapon he locked eyes for just a moment and read his friend perfectly; Lewis wasn't the only one who knew that would probably cause them all to get trapped and killed.

"No, go on ahead." Another, larger, thud signaled the arrival of zombies from the window above. Hunger drove them forwards towards their prey, regardless of what they would have to go through to reach it, even if that meant tumbling out of a second story window. A fall like that would stun them for a few moments but a fall like that, with such a relatively soft landing, meant it wouldn't keep them down for long.

"Don't be an idiot, we'll be there before you know it." Simon was almost begging now. Laughing, Lewis shook his head at his friend's willingness to take such crazy risks.

"No. Stick to the rooftops if you can, it'll be safer. I'll meet you at Ikea, right? I got this, I got this." Doomhammer was heavier in his hands than ever and the small gusts of wind that spiraled unseen through the small section of unkept greenery sent chills down Lewis' spine. Without looking at his friends, he moved forward and crushed a recently fallen zombie's skull, sending the innards of it's head spattering all over Lewis' legs. "I got this!" Another skull crushed under his fury. "I got this! Go!"

It was hard for Lewis to look up again, but he found his friends had gone after all. A mix of happiness and despair filled him. They were safe, that was the most important thing. But now he was alone, in a crazed world filled with walking corpses. Saying goodbye was something they couldn't do out here though. They had to believe they would see each other again and a goodbye would have felt too much like a defeat. The trickle of raining zombies continued, but was slowed by the sheer number of them trying to force their way through such a small gap. Lewis steeled himself and dove through the undergrowth and made an attempt to enter the outside world again.

Despite his body feeling like it was made out of butter, Lewis managed to leap over the thick, brick wall that had kept all the dangers away for a while and sprinted through the streets. It was now pitch black night, but the city was still abuzz with... Well, "life" would be the wrong word. Terror, pain and confusion would be more accurate. No longer bothering to sneak, Lewis used sheer willpower to push his body past group of the undead abominations. But he was not the only living person left. Amidst the groans and grunts that filled the night, the odd shout, scream or gunshot could be heard. It gave Lewis hope that not all was lost. Fires raged around burnt out cars while the dead feasted on freshly slaughtered people. It was sickening, but Lewis found that to be the best of distractions. Why would they chase a meal when they already had one?

After a few hours, Lewis had to stop. His body was felt like breaking into pieces and reducing his pace almost toppled him over in the process. It had seemed momentum had been one of the main factors in keeping him upright. Body feeling like butter? Well now it had melted. Checking the road, Lewis saw no immediate threats and so set himself down in a porch of a posh looking house. This area was much closer to Ikea, but not as close as he'd like. Some streets had been impassable so most of his time had been spent doubling back on himself to find safer routes if possible. If he didn't get there by morning, Hannah might not be alive to greet him. If she was even there...

How had he not realised this before!? Hannah might be looking for him right now, so they might never meet! or even worse, she could be dead already. "No!" Lewis hissed to himself, smacking his forehead roughly with his palm. He couldn't think like that. He'd make it there soon, and Hannah and SIps would be waiting with Simon and Sjin. Duncan might have thought of going there too and everyone would be safe. The realistic part of Lewis' brain told him they would most likely be all dead, but the rest just got angry and told the other bit to shut up. Lewis smacked himself in the head again when he realised he was imagining his brain as two different people. He was tired, both mentally and physically. Plus he was probably still in shock about everything that had happened. Leaning backwards, Lewis rested his head against the solid mahogany door. Ha, mahogany doors... Thinking of Sjin, Lewis laughed aloud. A laugh that turned into a yelp as the door opened inwards and Lewis fell backwards once more.


	8. Chapter 8 - Bunker

**Chapter 8 - Bunker**

A flash of auburn hair, an old wrinkled face… Lewis couldn't remember much. But after a few hours of distorted, disconnected visions he finally awoke. The last thing he remembered was laughing at the whole Mahogany Doors joke, which wasn't really all that funny given the circumstances. Aware of being conscious, but also scared of what may be waiting for him, Lewis just lay there with his eyes clamped shut. There must be people here, or why would he remember them? Unless they were just a dream, which was pretty likely given how little he remembered about what happened. Lewis wouldn't have been surprised if he'd passed out from sheer exhaustion in that doorway, but even without opening his eyes he knew that couldn't be the case.

His surroundings were warm and his body was rested on something soft and comforting, two which would never be used to describe a concrete lab in a doorway. A gentle crackling sound, that which usually accompanied the burning of wood, emanated from across the room. It wasn't a violent fire like the ones filling the husks of vehicles outside however, and was probably the source of the soothing warmth in the air. This was silly, Lewis told himself, there's nothing to be afraid of here, unless everything was on fire and he was about to be burned to ash… That would be kinda' bad. Slowly moving his arms and legs, hopefully imitating the movements of a person locked in the land of sleep, Lewis determined he wasn't restrained. If whoever had put him here were a threat, then surely he'd be tied to something?

Eventually Lewis grew tired of his charade, but even years of broadcasting his voice and face online hadn't polished up his acting skills much. As he opened his eyes and sat up, a bright laughter echoed around the room.

"So you decided to 'wake up,' then? You took your time, you must have been awake for a good half an hour." The female voice was not one he recognised. It was the voice of a young woman, younger than he was anyway. It seems she wasn't alone.

"Gah, don't blame 'im. From t' looks, he's sin 'is fair share today." In stark contrast to the first, the second voice was old, gruff and had the heavy accent of a Northerner. Some would call it common, but Lewis found it oddly comforting. Finally turning his aching neck to his new companions' direction, he saw his analysis was not far off and the flashes of visions he'd had while asleep weren't wrong either.

A young girl who couldn't have been older than twenty, maybe still even in her teens, stood in the centre of the room. Long, flowing orange hair cascaded down to her lower back, the thick fringe almost hiding her pale, freckled face entirely. She looked delicate, like a porcelain doll, but the blood stained combat jacket and torn jeans told a different story. The only thing that didn't looks dirty was her black vest, but the blood had probably just been lost in the much darker black beneath it. Her hands fiddled constantly with a gun and its clip while a combat knife was strapped to the outside of her skinny thigh. The old northern man sat behind her in a faded scarlet armchair. His tanned face was covered with countless wrinkles concentrated around his mouth, the signature of a man who smiled a lot during his life. Just like his friend his hands were constantly moving, one hand drummed on the polished, oak walking cane while the other did the same on the arm of the chair, only inches away from a revolver that looked just as old as he did.

"Who are you people?" Lewis asked, his voice groggy and throat dry. "How did I end up... well, wherever we are?" Despite his mind brimming with questions and his eagerness to leave and meet with his friends, the corner of his vision caught the majority of Lewis' attention. A crack had spread across the base of his glasses and it was driving him crazy. It was a miracle they were still in once piece, but after Simon had pushed him off that boat Lewis had taken extra precaution to ensure no other pair of his glasses would never suffer the fate; a watery grave. Ordering the frames slightly too small was a good start and had meant they didn't fall off during his early encounter with the pool. Unsure of when it happened, only that it was distracting him to no end, Lewis prodded the lens tentatively to test its strength.

"...and so we brought you down here." The girl finished up. Looking up suddenly, Lewis realised he'd not paid attention to anything she had been saying and so his only response was to hang his mouth open slightly in embarrassment and let out a small "duuh."

"Ah told thi' he's got a concussion o' summat!" The old man sighed before standing up, resting his weight heavily on his cane before walking over and grabbing Lewis roughly by the chin. He tilted his head this way and that, sticking his tongue out in concentration. Eventually he closed his eyes and shook his head. "Ah wa' afraid this'd 'appen, quick love get that axe. We're gunna' 'ave to bust 'im open.' The ginger girl gave a quick salute and went to leave. Lewis' eyes burst open in shock, almost leaping from their sockets.

"No, no, no. No axe! No axe is needed, I'm fine I was just not... paying, erm... Not paying attention." Instinctively, Lewis felt his metaphorical palm slowly retract towards his forehead as he realised how he'd been played. The old man's growly chuckle as he sat back down put the final nail in the coffin.

"Good, should've just opened yer lug'oles. Incase y'missed it I'm Wilf. That's Mys-"

"Emma! My name's Emma, Grandad. Come on..." Her face flushing almost as red as her hair. She plonked her slender frame next to Lewis and crossed her legs like a child. "He's a little senile," she whispered, although her voice sounded shaky. Lewis narrowed his eyes at the girl; she was hiding something from him. He would have questioned her further if not for Emma giving him the biggest puppy-dog eyes he'd seen in his life. Emerald pools of innocence stared into him, wiping all trace of suspicion from Lewis' mind. Moments later, the look disappeared and a grin took it's place as she turned back to look at her Grandfather.

"I'd say pleasure to meet you, but the under the circumstances I can't really pull it off. I'm Lewis." He gave a pathetic, unnecessary little wave that probably made him seem like an idiot. Only now did he realise how much attention he was paying to this totally random girl and how much he cared about looking like a fool around her. The lingering scent of a flowery perfume mixed with that of stale sweat emanated from her. Usually it wouldn't have been alluring in any way, but Slowly he leaned away, hearing bed springs creak angrily beneath him. Flicking his eyes around the room, basically anywhere Emma wasn't, he noticed that everything here was very old and out of date. There were no windows to be seen and no visible door to leave. "Sorry, could you explain where we are again?"

The question was blurted out before he could hold it in and the grinning girl next to him happily replied. "We're in Grandad's old war shelter. He's been alive forever, and he's always been eager to keep it that way, so he had this installed into his house when he moved in. That was before I was born though. I'm pretty sure there are cans of tuna older than I am in the cupboards." Standing, Lewis made to leave but Emma grasped his wrist. "Where are you going?" Straightening his damp, bloody mess of an outfit the best he could, Lewis tried to explain the best her could.

"I have to get out of here. I have to find my friends. We lost touch, but I said I'd meet them somewhere." Lewis hesitated on the word "friends." It wasn't on purpose, he originally meant to say "girlfriend," but something held him back. "Please." Wilf stopped his drumming.

"We coulda' died gettin' y'in 'ere. Nar y'wonna' leave." It wasn't a question. It was as though he was disappointed in him, but Lewis couldn't figure out what he could've done. Surely this man could understand wanting to help people? He'd done it himself after all! Oh. Maybe that was the point. He'd tried to help Lewis by bringing him down here then he was about to run off without even thanking them for looking after him.

"I know, I'm sorry. But, I really need to do this. Thank you for letting me in, but I need to go." Praying that the man wouldn't just pick up his gun and blow his brains out due to sheer stubborness, Lewis stepped forward once more but Emma's hand still clung to his his clothing.

"Me too. I want to help. Not just Lewis, but help anyone I can." At this Wilf stood up so fast his chair toppled backwards and his cane clattered to the ground. Despite the evidence of him being a happy man previously, a situation like this could change anyone quickly. Lewis had seen it himself with Simon.

"'Ow dare ya' say that!? Y'wonna' leave 'ere after everthin' yer parents did? Ya' do remember what 'appened to 'em, dunt thi'? Nah y'wonna go art there to 'elp this... this... loser?!" Lewis almost let out an indignant "hey!" but thought better of it. He was now stood between too very armed, angry people and they were angry because of him.

"I know what happened, Grandad. I was there. I had to deal with it." Compared to her older relative, Emma's anger was much more restrained but her voice dripped with venom at such a seemingly painful memory being brought up so soon. Surely he would have known that would upset her more then anything. That was the problem with old men, they don't have any tact! Lewis was happy he didn't say that aloud. "I can't just sit here. There's no help coming. Have you never seen the films?" She rolled her eyes at the blank look on Wilf's face. "Oh, of course not, you spend your entire day watching old episodes of Countdown and Bargain Hunt. This won't just blow over, this doesn't just end."

An awkward silence filled the air. If the pair before him stared angrily at one another for much longer he suspected they'd both burst into flames. Then come back. And eat him. Being eaten was not first on his to-do list for today. "Please, Emma can stay here I just need to go."

"Neither of you can say what I can and can't do!" Emma unleashed her fury finally. Lewis had heard the anecdote of redheads being easily angered, but he sensed there was something deeper going on here. She looked young enough to be at the age where she wanted the freedom to do what she wanted, but not old enough to get it. Plus, he could guess what had happened to her parents. That would be a very fresh wound on anyone's heart and mind.

"This really isn't my place, but if you want to come I won't stop you. But your Grandad is right, it is dangerous out there." Trying to ease the tension as much as possible, Lewis used his calming voice. He didn't really have a voice specifically designed to calm people, but he did his best regardless.

"Fine, get 'art." Wilf's words were heavy with finalistic tones and Lewis didn't want to argue. He gave a solemn thank you once again and looked at his new companion for direction. She took a final look at her grandfather, a mumbled goodbye and headed to the corner of the room. With a quick jump, Emma grabbed a handle in the ceiling and yanked down a hatch, pre-occupying herself with a ladder that presumably lead up to her grandfather's house.

It wasn't much of a goodbye. Lewis felt guilty for causing such a rift, but there wasn't anything else he could have done. Wilf seemed too stubborn to try and stop her. Emma was too fiery to admit being wrong about anything. But Lewis was worried for her. She seemed prepared, but someone so young... would she be able to help him find his friends? Finally a few small rays of light came down into the bunker and the ladder clattered down into place. Wilf stood up. Maybe he was taking the final opportunity to say his farewells. Instead he only poked the fire. Emma caught his eye. "Let's go." Call him crazy, but Lewis swore she heard her voice crack as she said that. This wasn't something he could think much about. Getting to know his new friend could wait, right now he had a job to do... and a flat-packed furniture store to visit.


End file.
